1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for resetting a printed-wiring-board (PWB) supporting device, and a PWB-relating-operation performing system which can reset a PWB supporting device, and particularly relates to the art of automatizing a resetting operation.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is known a PWB supporting device which supports a back surface of a PWB and which is used to support a PWB in, e.g., an electric-component mounting device, an electric-circuit inspecting device, a screen printing machine, or an adhesive applying device. A PWB on which electric components (EC; e.g., electronic components) have been mounted should be called as a printed circuit board (PCB) but, in the present specification, a PCB is also referred to as a PWB, for avoiding complexity.
Japanese Patent Document No. 11-195899 and its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,751 disclose a PWB supporting device which includes a supporting table; and a plurality of supporting pins each of which can be set on the supporting table. The disclosed PWB supporting device additionally includes a storing device which stores the plurality of supporting pins; a pin holder which can hold each of the supporting pins; and an X-Y robot which is moved, according to pin-position data representing prescribed pin positions on the supporting table, the pin holder between the storing device and the supporting table to take each supporting pin out of the storing device and set the supporting pin at the prescribed position on the supporting table. Thus, this PWB supporting device automatically sets itself, i.e., automatically sets the supporting pins at the respective prescribed positions on the supporting table.
The present invention provides a PWB-supporting-device resetting apparatus and a PWB-relating-operation performing system that have each feature described below. The following features are described, like claims, in respective paragraphs that are given respective sequential numbers. Any feature that includes another feature shall do so by referring to the number given to the latter feature. However, the following features and the appropriate combinations thereof are just examples to which the technical features, and the combinations thereof, described in the specification are by no means limited. In addition, in the case where one feature recites a plurality of items, it is not essentially required that all of those items be simultaneously employed in the one feature. That is, it is possible to select and employ only a portion (one, two, . . . , but not all) of those items.
(1) According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for automatically resetting a printed-wiring-board supporting device including a supporting table and at least one supporting member which is set on a supporting surface of the supporting table to support a back surface of a printed wiring board, the apparatus comprising a storing device in which the at least one supporting member is stored; a holding head which holds the supporting member; a moving device which moves at least one of the holding head, the supporting table, and the storing device, relative to at least one other of the holding head, the supporting table, and the storing device; and a control device which controls, according to prescribed control information, the moving device so that the holding head takes the supporting member from a storing position in the storing device and sets the supporting member at a setting position on the supporting surface of the supporting table, and takes the supporting member from the setting position and stores the supporting member at the storing position.
The moving device may be one which moves at least one of (a) the holding head and (b) each of the supporting table and the storing device, relative to the other of the holding head and the each of the supporting table and the storing device. However, the moving device may be one which moves the supporting table relative to the holding head, and the storing device may be one which stores the supporting member and supplies the same to the holding head. The storing device may be one which includes a housing in which the supporting member is accommodated and stored, or one which includes a supporting board on which the supporting member is placed and stored.
The present apparatus automatically sets the supporting member stored in the storing device, onto the supporting table, and automatically stores the supporting member set on the supporting table, into the storing device.
(2) According to a second feature of the present invention that includes the first feature (1), the supporting member comprises a supporting pin having a seating surface which is supported by the supporting surface of the supporting table, and including a shank portion which extends perpendicularly to the seating surface and which supports, at a free end portion thereof, the printed wiring board, and the holding head comprises a pin holder which holds the supporting pin.
The supporting pin may be a suction-type supporting pin or a holding pin which includes, at the free end of the shank portion that supports the printed wiring board (PWB), a suction cup that applies suction to the PWB and thereby holds the PWB. Alternatively, the supporting pin may be a non-suction-type supporting pin which does not include a suction cup and supports the PWB at only the free end of the shank portion.
(3) According to a third feature of the present invention that includes the first or second feature (1) or (2), the control device comprises a control-information memory in which the control information is stored, and further comprises a computer including an information processor which process the control information stored in the control-information memory.
(4) According to a fourth feature of the present invention that includes the third feature (3), the computer further comprises a first starting means for starting, in response to a start command supplied from a host computer, the information processor to process the control information.
The present apparatus automatically starts a resetting operation.
(5) According to a fifth feature of the present invention that includes the third or fourth feature (3) or (4), the control device further comprises an input device which is operable by an operator, and the computer further comprises a second starting means for starting, in response to a start command input through the input device, the information processor to process the control information.
(6) According to a sixth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the third to fifth features (3) to (5), the computer further comprises a first storing means for storing, in the control-information memory, the control information supplied from a host computer.
(7) According to a seventh feature of the present invention that includes any one of the third to sixth features (3) to (6), the control device further comprises a reading device which reads the control information recorded on a portable information-recording medium, and the computer further comprises a second storing means for storing, in the control-information memory, the control information read by the reading device.
The portable information-recording medium may be an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a magnetic tape.
(8) According to an eighth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the third to seventh features (3) to (7), the control device further comprises an input device which is operable by an operator, and the computer further comprises a third storing means for storing, in the control-information memory, the control information input through the input device.
(9) According to a ninth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the third to eighth features (3) to (8), the control-information memory comprises an internal memory which is incorporated by the computer, and an external memory which is provided outside the computer, and the computer further comprises an information transferring means for transferring the control information from one of the internal memory and the external memory to the other of the internal and external memories.
According to this feature, the computer may be one which controls an operation performing system including the present resetting apparatus. In this case, not only a program and data needed to perform resetting but also a program and data needed to perform an operation may be stored in the control-information memory, in such a manner that those programs and data are usually stored in the external memory and, when resetting or an operation is performed, only necessary program and data are transferred from the external memory to the internal memory. In the last case, the internal memory may be one which has a reduced memory capacity, so that only a reduced amount of data is stored in the internal memory and is processed at an increased rate by the computer.
(10) According to a tenth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to ninth features (1) to (9), the control information comprises information relating to at least one of the setting position, the storing position, a sort of the supporting member, a shape of the supporting member, and a dimension of the supporting member.
(11) According to an eleventh feature of the present invention that includes any one of the first to tenth features (1) to (10), the resetting apparatus further comprises a recognizing device which recognizes a free end portion of the supporting member and obtains information relating to the free end portion.
The recognizing device may be one which includes an image taking device, one which emits a light toward the free end portion of the supporting member and recognizes the free end portion based on the light reflected therefrom, or one which includes a radar.
(12) According to a twelfth feature of the present invention that includes the eleventh feature (11), the recognizing device comprises an image taking device which takes an image of the free end portion of the supporting member.
(13) According to a thirteenth feature of the present invention that includes the eleventh or twelfth feature (11) or (12), the moving device moves the recognizing device together with the holding head, relative to the supporting table.
(14) According to a fourteenth feature of the present invention that includes the thirteenth feature (13), the control device comprises a free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion which controls the apparatus, based on the information, obtained by the recognizing device, relating to the free end portion of the supporting member.
The information relating to the free end portion of the supporting member may be position information representing a position of the free end portion, as recited in the seventeenth feature (17); shape information representing a shape of the free end portion; or dimension information representing a dimension of the free end portion. In the case where the shape or dimension information is obtained, the obtained shape or dimension information may be compared with nominal shape or dimension data, so that a sort of the supporting member held by the holding head may be identified, presence or absence of the supporting member may be identified, or any defect of the supporting member may be inspected. Based on this comparison result, the free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion may control the present resetting apparatus to interrupt the current resetting operation, if the supporting member is absent from a correct position, if there is no supporting member, or if the supporting member has a defect. Thus, an erroneous or defective supporting member is prevented from being set on the supporting table, or a supporting member is prevented from being not set on the supporting table.
(15) According to a fifteenth feature of the present invention that includes the fourteenth feature (14), the resetting apparatus further comprises an informing device which outputs information recognizable by an operator, and the free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion comprises an informing control portion which operates the informing device when the information obtained by the recognizing device differs from a reference information by not less than a prescribed amount.
(16) According to a sixteenth feature of the present invention that includes the fourteenth or fifteenth feature (14) or (15), the free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion comprises a moving control portion which controls the moving device.
(17) According to a seventeenth feature of the present invention that includes the sixteenth feature (16), the information obtained by the recognizing device comprises position information representing a position of the free end portion of the supporting member, and the free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion comprises a stop-position correcting portion which corrects a stop position where the moving device stops a movement of at least one of (a) the holding head and (b) at least one of the supporting table and the storing device, relative to the other of (a) the holding head and (b) the at least one of the supporting table and the storing device.
According to this feature, the holding head is accurately positioned relative to at least one of the supporting member set on the supporting table and the supporting member stored in the storing device, so that the holding head can accurately hold the supporting member.
(18) According to an eighteenth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the fourteenth to seventeenth features (14) to (17), the resetting apparatus further comprises a rotating device which rotates the holding head about an axis line thereof, the free-end-portion-relating-information-dependent control portion comprises a rotating control portion which controls the rotating device, the information obtained by the recognizing device comprises rotation-position information representing a rotation position of the supporting member as an angular phase thereof about an axis line thereof, and the rotating control portion comprises a rotation-position correcting portion which corrects, based on the rotation-position information, at least one of a rotation position of the holding head as an angular phase thereof about the axis line thereof and the rotation position of the supporting member held by the holding head.
According to this feature, when the holding head holds the supporting member set on the supporting table, the holding head can be rotated to a prescribed rotation position relative to the supporting member or, when the supporting member held by the holding head is set on the supporting table, the supporting member can be rotated to a prescribed rotation position at which the supporting member is to be set on the table.
(19) According to a nineteenth feature of the present invention, there is provided a system for performing an operation relating a printed wiring board, comprising a printed-wiring-board supporting device comprising a supporting table and at least one supporting member which is set on a supporting surface of the supporting table to support a back surface of the printed wiring board; an operation performing head which performs an operation for the printed wiring board supported by the printed-wiring-board supporting device; a storing device in which the at least one supporting member is stored; a holding head which holds the supporting member; a first moving device which moves at least one of the holding head, the supporting table, and the storing device, relative to at least one other of the holding head, the supporting table, and the storing device; and a control device which controls, according to prescribed control information, the first moving device so that the holding head takes the supporting member from a storing position in the storing device and sets the supporting member at a setting position on the supporting surface of the supporting table, and takes the supporting member from the setting position and stores the supporting member at the storing position.
The operation performing head may be an electric-component mounting head which mounts an electric component on a surface of the PWB; a screen-printing head which screen-prints a creamed solder on a surface of the PWB; an applying head which sequentially applies a highly viscous fluid, such as an adhesive, to a single spot, or a plurality of spots, on a surface of the PWB; or a circuit inspecting head which inspects an electric circuit formed on a surface of the PWB. Depending upon the sort of the operation performing head employed, the operation performing system provides an electric-component mounting system, a screen-printing system, a highly-viscous-fluid applying system, or an electric-circuit inspecting system.
(20) According to a twentieth feature of the present invention that includes the nineteenth feature (19), the operation performing system further comprises a second moving device which moves at least one of the operation performing head and the printed-wiring-board supporting device, relative to the other of the operation performing head and the printed-wiring-board supporting device, so that the operation performing head performs the operation for the printed wiring board supported by the printed-wiring-board supporting device, and the control device comprises a first control portion which controls the first moving device, and a second control portion which controls the second moving device.
(21) According to a twenty-first feature of the present invention that includes the twentieth feature (20), the operation performing system further comprises a movable member which carries both the holding head and the operation performing head, and the second moving device shares at least a portion thereof with the first moving device.
The movable member may be a member which is moved by a movable-member moving device in at least a direction having two components perpendicular to each other on a plane parallel to a surface of the PWB on which the operation is to be performed and also parallel to the supporting surface of the supporting table, so that the operation performing head performs the operation; a member which is moved in one of the two directions perpendicular to each other on the plane; or a rotatable member which is rotated about an axis line. In the case where the movable member is provided by the rotatable member, the rotatable member may be an intermittently rotatable member which is intermittently rotated in one direction by an intermittently rotating device; or a rotatable member which is rotated by an arbitrary angle in only a forward direction, or in each of forward and backward directions, by a rotating device.
A portion of the first moving device that moves at least one of the holding head, the supporting table, and the storing device in a direction parallel to the supporting surface of the supporting table is common to a portion of the second moving device that moves at least one of the operation performing head and the PWB supporting device in the direction parallel to the supporting surface of the supporting table.
According to this feature, the present operation performing system can be produced with ease and at low cost.
(22) According to a twenty-second feature of the present invention that includes any one of the nineteenth to twenty-first features (19) to (21), the operation performing system further comprises a supporting-member recognizing device which recognizes a free end portion of the supporting member positioned at at least one of the setting position and the storing position.
The supporting-member recognizing device may be one which includes an image taking device which takes an image of the free end portion of the supporting member.
(23) According to a twenty-third feature of the present invention that includes any one of the nineteenth to twenty-second features (19) to (22), the operation performing system further comprises a mark recognizing device which recognizes at least one fiducial mark provided on the printed wiring board supported by the printed-wiring-board supporting device.
(24) According to a twenty-fourth feature of the present invention that includes the twenty-third feature (23), the operation performing system further comprises a supporting-member recognizing device which recognizes a free end portion of the supporting member positioned at at least one of the setting position and the storing position, and the supporting-member recognizing device is provided by the mark recognizing device.
(25) According to a twenty-fifth feature of the present invention that includes any one of the nineteenth to twenty-fourth features (19) to (24), the operation performing system further comprises an electric-component supplying device which supplies at least one electric component, and the operation performing head comprises an electric-component mounting head which receives the electric component from the electric-component supplying device and mounts the component on the printed wiring board supported by the printed-wiring-board supporting device.